Kendrick Perkins points out LeBron James-led LA Lakers' bleak bright side: “Can we stop having high expectations?”  

With Anthony Davis out indefinitely with a foot injury, LeBron James is now tasked with leading the charge for the LA Lakers alone. Despite going for 38 points, six rebounds and five assists on Christmas Day, the team still fell short in their afternoon matchup against the Dallas Mavericks.

Even with LeBron James still playing at a high level in Year 20, things are looking bleak for the Lakers. They currently sit in 13th place in the Western Conference with a record of 13-20.

Following their loss to the Mavericks, Kendrick Perkins set the record straight in regards to the league's most historic franchise. Given their current situation, he feels it's time to stop having such high expectations for LA to turn things around:

"It's been a disaster. ... When we talk about the Lakers, can we stop having high expectations that they're going to turn the corner?

"The only two bright spots when I look at the Lakers is that one, my guy Russell Westbrook has saved his career. Two, the only thing else is that we need to be looking forward to LeBron James and his greatness and when he's gonna pass Kareem as the NBA all-time leading scorer."

Is it too late for LeBron James and the Lakers to turn things around?

With there being so much uncertainty around Anthony Davis and his foot injury, Kendrick Perkins might be right. It's time to start lowering the bar for the LA Lakers this year. Many were skeptical about the team's ability to start the year, and it's fully apparent why.

Right now, the only thing the Lakers have going for them is LeBron James has taken things to a higher gear. Right before his 38th birthday, the four-time MVP is averaging 33.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists over his past eight games. The only problem is that this high-level play isn't resulting in wins. After losing to the Dallas Mavericks on Christmas, LA are 3-7 over their past 10 games.

If AD is forced to miss extended time, LeBron and the Lakers might be forced to pack it in this season. Even with Russell Westbrook's resurgence as a sixth man, the supporting cast is not strong enough to stay competitive without one of their All-Stars in the lineup.

The Lakers are now on track to miss the playoffs for the second-straight season, but there will still be one positive from this year. LeBron is rapidly approaching becoming the all-time leading scorer in NBA history.